It’s a common refrain in any workout setting: “Watch your form!” “Pay attention to your form!” “Make sure your form is correct!” You’ve probably heard it a million times. And for a lot of people, they may be afraid to admit that they don’t totally know what it means. Or even if they do, they may be too embarrassed to ask for help getting it right.
Form is, of course, referring to the ways we hold, position, and move our bodies while exercising. For example, are you hunched over when you should be keeping your back straight? Are you locking your knees when you should be keeping them loose (or vice-versa)? Are you lifting from your back instead of your legs? These are the sorts of considerations that can lead to a poor workout–if your form is off, you can lose the efficacy of any given exercise, or even put yourself at risk for physical harm.
The flip-side to this danger is that when you learn how to do an exercise correctly, you reap the benefits. Rather than doing endless reps with no results, you can intentionally target the correct muscles and hyper-focus on a workout that ensures your body is working for you.
Fitness trainers that help you succeed
Proper form is all about proper practice. Like anything, it can be learned, so long as you pay attention and understand exactly what you’re trying to achieve. While some people are more than capable of learning correct form on their own, for most people, the easiest and most effective way to learn and maintain proper form is by working with a professional trainer.
A trainer helps you by giving you the knowledge and practice regimens you need to meet your goals, including starting from the beginning by learning the right form for any given exercise. Trainers can help you get set up so that you find the right stance for a workout, understand exactly how you’re supposed to move your body, what it’s supposed to feel like when the correct muscles are activated, how to use equipment properly and safely, and more. They also provide a set of professional and unbiased eyes to make sure that you’re moving properly–while this can feel odd at times, you’ll soon discover that having a pro keeping an eye on you to ensure safe and effective workouts is a huge benefit and a learning experience that you can carry forward.
A training-first gym means you learn from the best
The Gym MPLS is a training-first gym, which means that we serve primarily as a co-op for professional trainers, giving them the space, tools, and resources to become the best in their field. We highly encourage all our members to work with personal trainers specifically because we know how effective it is when you learn proper form, technique, and regimen from the experts themselves.
Whatever your fitness goals and needs, we want to be your go-to resource and support. For more info on The Gym MPLS, our digital Apex Anywhere program, or our training-first approach, email us at info@thegymmpls.com or give us a call at (612) 405-3002. And while you’re at it, give us a follow on Instagram (@thegymmpls) for daily motivation, gym updates, and more.
